Invasion
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: When Buster isn't hungry at lunch and Brain agrees with him about the whole alien conspiracy thing, the students of Lakewood Elementary know things are about to get ugly. Sure enough, the alien invasion begins. Will it be amazing as Buster always hoped or a living nightmare? For my Disasters series.
1. Chapter 1

INVASION

CHAPTER ONE: SOUNDS OVER THE CITY

It was lunch time at Lakewood Elementary, and students had gathered around their lunch tables to enjoy Taco Tuesday. Arthur sat with Buster, Brain, Francine, and Muffy at a table near the window, but it was clear that something was up just by looking over the trays. As most trays cleared at a steady pace, Buster Baxter's tray remained mostly full, which told everyone there was a huge problem with their friend.

"Buster, you gonna eat that?" Arthur asked, pointing to Buster's untouched serving of nachos and salsa.

"Nah, you can have it," Buster replied, causing a hush to spread over the table. Muffy stopped mid-laugh to give him a confused look as all eyes fell on him. Buster blinked, "What? I'm just not that hungry today."

"You? Not that hungry? Alright, the world must be ending. Buster Baxter is always hungry, even after he's eaten half a buffet," Francine argued.

Arthur nodded, "She's right, Buster. Are you sick? Do you think you're coming down with something again?"

"No," Buster said simply, adding, "I'm just not that hungry today."

"Forgive me for intruding, but I believe the others are right. Many things can cause a lack of appetite, and if you are not ill, the answer must lie elsewhere. Are you under any excess stress?" Brain questioned.

"Not that I can think of," Buster said, blushing slightly, "What does that mean exactly?"

"Is something bothering you?" Arthur asked, adding examples, "Like, did your mom tell you to do extra chores but you didn't do them so you can't watch the new Bionic Bunny tonight?"

"Or did they get rid of your allowance to pay bills?" Francine offered.

"Or is there a sale and you're totally missing it because you're at school?" Muffy asked.

"No, no, none of those things," Buster said, "but I have been worried about something. Have any of you heard those weird plane noises over the city?"

Francine cracked up, "There are all sorts of planes that go over every day, Buster. The only time they don't is when the weather gets really bad in winter, and it's almost May now. No weird planes."

"No, it sounds like a plane but it's not. It roars for a while, then stops, then moves again, then roars. Sometimes it sounds like thunder that's rolling across the sky, but the best way I can describe it is like a plane that starts and stops its engine mid-flight, which they normally don't do," Buster explained, looking over the group with a desperate expression, "Come on, one of you has to have heard it."

"I'm sorry, but a plane's a plane," Muffy said firmly, shaking her head. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's probably from some military base. That's what Daddy always says, and if you ask the police, they say the same thing. My neighbor is always going on and on about that sort of thing. He's some trust fund baby that is totally weird. I hear he goes through garbage," she whispered.

Brain held up his hand, "Actually, Buster, I've seen reports on a forum I follow about scientific things here in Elwood City. Others have reported the noises and speculated about possible military vehicles. As Muffy suggested, most of the strange aircraft and noises reported are usually from Metropolis's air force base, but none of the patrons has been able to pinpoint which vehicle they're testing."

"How would they even know? I thought most of that stuff was beyond top secret," Francine inquired.

Brain nodded, "Most are, but civilians have ways of discovering things on the internet, and most of these people are elite scientists in their own right. Most are retired so they're no longer in the loop, but they all have a theory now that aircraft have been eliminated as a possibility. Other towns in a tri-state area have reported similar noises, and they think they're coming from the upper atmosphere."

"English please?" Muffy asked.

Arthur stepped in, "From space?"

"Almost," Brain nodded. "They believe the sounds are coming from the upper-most areas of the atmosphere, right before you enter space entirely. But if you notice, the sounds only happen on very cloudy days, and they often only last for a few minutes."

Buster nodded excitedly, "Yeah, it's like it's there one minute, gone the next. My mom hasn't even been able to hear them and I've gone to get her like three times already."

"I'm sorry to be doubtful, especially of you Brain, but this sounds like nonsense," Muffy said, rolling her eyes as she began to turn to Francine to continue their conversation.

Francine nodded, "I have to agree with Muffy here. That suggests that either the government is up to something, which they're not, or that they're aliens, and there are no such thing as aliens."

"Aliens do exist. We just haven't met them yet," Buster replied defiantly.

Francine turned to Brain, who sighed, "Scientifically speaking, the existence of aliens has neither been confirmed or denied. Studies are being done to determine if life ever existed on Mars or the other planets in our solar system, but it's still difficult to gather data in a timely manner. The current theory is a neutral one. Aliens as we've seen in science fiction may or may not exist. There isn't enough proof for either side to be correct in this argument."

Francine sighed heavily, "So according to Brain, the smartest kid in the whole state, aliens could actually exist and Buster isn't making this up. Forgive me here, but I'm starting to have doubts. Arthur, eat his food. We'll have to go back to class soon."

Arthur looked down but realized he'd already cleaned out his friend's nachos by blindly eating them during the conversation. But like Buster, his appetite was beginning to crumble. If his best friend heard the sounds, and Brain knew about them too; and if Brain confirmed aliens could exist, then he had plenty of reasons to be concerned. He needed to gather more evidence, so he would turn to the best people for the job: His parents.

At dinner that night, Arthur was nervous about asking his question. His mother always went along with Buster's stories, but he could tell she wasn't really interested in aliens, space ships, UFO's, or anything else Buster talked about. She just wanted to encourage hobbies, something she often told her friends whenever she put up with DW's horrible singing or fought to send her to dance classes she wouldn't go to after two weeks. She was "encouraging hobbies," and she honestly wished Arthur was more involved.

But Arthur knew he'd have to take his chances if he wanted any real answers. After his father finished an unfunny story from work (which he laughed at for several moments while Jane just smiled), Arthur decided to jump in to ask the Big Question for the day: "Mom, Dad, do you think aliens exist?"

"Honey, I know Buster makes a good argument, but I don't think he's looking at good sources, if you know what I mean," Jane smiled sympathetically before turning to her husband, "David, tell him."

"Actually I read an article today that there have been some strange things happening out there in that big place known as space, but even NASA can't explain what's causing it. Maybe there is something out there. We don't know for sure, but if you're worried about aliens, you shouldn't. All of those invasion stories are just myths. I don't know why aliens would want to come here anyway," David said, cutting a piece of meat and popping it into his mouth. After a moment he added, "If they have the technology to get here in ships of their own, we're not ready to meet them."

"Why not? I don't get it," DW said.

"David, stop," Jane whispered, sensing where her husband was going. He'd also been watching documentaries about various groups who were enslaved during earlier eras, and she didn't want him scaring the kids with what happened when one group held power over others.

"Your mother is right that Buster doesn't always look at the right sources," David said after a long pause. "Aliens could exist, but they might not. I think you should focus on your lesson of the week instead. What is Mr. Ratburn teaching you right now?"

"The Industrial Revolution. I have to do a report on an invention from the time by Friday," Arthur muttered.

"Well, I think you should use the den computer to get sources on that tonight. I'll supervise," David, effectively ending the discussion for the evening.

Arthur had his answers but he wasn't convinced. If aliens existed, and if Buster was hearing weird sounds over the city, then something could be out there. They just didn't know what.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO: THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Buster woke up to the noise again. As soon as he shot up out of bed, he heard the noise dying out over the city, so he took to his window again. Nothing was in the sky, which was just beginning to show signs of the coming morning. He tried his telescope and looked over the skyline.

He saw a flash in his lens and grew excited, stepping back to catch his breath. When he did, he saw the car pulling through the lot with its bright headlights shining into the night.

"Dang it," Buster sighed, looking up again. There was no sign of anything, but he knew he'd heard something.

The night before, instead of using the computer for his Industrial Revolution project, he went on a search for the forums Brain told them about over lunch. He found several discussing phenomenon, not just in Elwood City but elsewhere, both other cities and other places in the solar system. Apparently NASA had lost contact with different space probes, but instead of mechanical malfunctions, they felt as if something was large blocking the way. That caught Buster's attention, but the sounds, which had been mapped out to various parts of the northern hemisphere, gave him more hope: Something was out there, up there, and it was huge.

Downstairs Buster heard a bump and realized Bitzi was likely coming upstairs. Instead of running back to bed and pretending to be asleep, he stood at his telescope waiting. A moment later, the door opened gently and Bitzi stepped inside his room.

"Buster, are you playing some kind of video game? I just heard the most awful noise-"

"I think it was what I've been hearing. It woke me up too but I can't see anything," Buster said with almost a joyful tone. His mother had finally heard the sound too...but his smile quickly faded.

"Ugh, Janice from the other building said one of the boys there got a new car. I bet he was just playing his music too loud or something," Bitzi groaned.

"Mom, it's five in the morning. Where would he be going?" Buster asked, trying to prove his point and give it more evidence.

Bitzi wasn't buying it, "There might be an emergency, or maybe he's doing something for school. I don't know, Buster, but I won't let your vivid imagination get to me. I'm going back to bed, and you should too. We have another hour we can rest," she yawned, backing out of the door and closing it gently behind her.

Buster sighed. He was so close to convincing his mom, but she did have a good point. There were more teenagers in the complex lately that were getting cars, so maybe they were sneaking out early to do teenager things. She had a point, but Buster had his too. He needed to get her to hear the sound during the day, and the same went for his friends.

When Buster got to school, his friends swarmed his desk. A lot of them heard the noise that morning, or someone in their house did, giving some validity to his story. When Brain stepped in, he also joined the group, confirming that something loud happened over the city around five-fifteen, but even local officials had no idea what it was.

Brain put a printout on the table, "The city had the mayor send out a press release. He told people to be calm, that the military would probably release a statement later this morning. I even saw a caravan of vehicles with U.S. Government tags heading towards downtown when I walked to school."

"But what if they're telling us they don't know what the noises are either?" Muffy asked. "What are we supposed to do then?"

"Yeah, Brain," Francine nodded, "If the government doesn't know what this is, we could all be in a lot of trouble."

Mr. Ratburn entered the room and tapped his ruler on the metal tray under the board, "Quiet down, class, and take your seats. We have a lot to get through this morning before the assembly."

"Assembly? What assembly?" Binky asked, eying the schedule Mr. Ratburn had written on the far-left side of the board, "There isn't one listed."

"We're gathering in the gym at ten-fifteen to hear a special message. That is all I was told, so let's get started. We'll begin with science. Please pass your science homework to the front of the room while I take attendance," Mr. Ratburn said, taking a seat at his desk as papers rustled throughout the room. While Buster accepted many pages, his homework wasn't among them, and many others hadn't done the assignment either, something Ratburn immediately noticed.

Ratburn sighed as he placed the papers in a special bin labeled SCIENCE ASSIGNMENTS at the front of the room. He walked to the overhead projector and pulled out some slides, continuing his previous day's lecture on the parts of plants. The homework assignment the students blew off was to continue labeling the parts based on a diagram in the book, and Mr. Ratburn was disappointed that so few students completed the work.

But at the same time, he understood. He'd been hearing the noises for days, and he'd been reading about them online. On top of that, other teachers were beginning to notice as well, so the teacher's lounge was full of discussion on the subject. Everyone was talking about what it could be, but with officials not releasing information, no one really knew.

He knew they would soon. He quickly finished going over the plants before passing back the homework. He'd excuse them by having them finish (or begin) the assignment before moving on to the day's math lesson. He was nervous about the assembly because of how Principal Haney looked when he came around that morning to tell everyone about it. He was genuinely nervous, a feeling Ratburn only saw once before, when a leading state official toured the school to see about their federal funding. They were fine now for several years, so this was about the assembly, the news conference the mayor was calling. He was instructed to gather the students, and Nigel knew exactly what that meant.

Around ten o'clock, the announcement came for grades to begin releasing their students to the gym. The kindergarteners entered first, then the first and second graders. The third graders went next, then the fourth, fifth, and special needs classes. The last set of students entered at ten-fourteen. At ten-fifteen, Principal Haney moved to a cord on stage and lowered the projector screen. At the back of the room, Secretary Tingley pressed a button on a television, which was hooked to a projector and the room's speaker system.

After an introduction by a staff member, the mayor of Elwood City took to his podium. As he stood there, swallowing nervously, many couldn't help but notice the strong military presence around him.

"Good morning citizens of Elwood City, including the students of the Elwood City Public School System. I have asked for everyone to tune in to this important message for a reason. As many of you may have heard, there are strange noises over the city, and I've been instructed by the United States Government to inform you all of their origin.

"Before I do so, I want you all to know that you are in no clear and apparent danger, and that the Armed Forces of this great country are taking care of any and all known threats. But as some have speculated, yes, there is a large alien ship hovering in Earth's upper atmosphere-"

"I knew it!" Buster exclaimed.

A chorus of "SHHH!" filled the room as Buster composed himself. He wasn't embarrassed by his outburst and neither was anyone around him—anyone that knew Buster knew this was his shining moment, the day when all of his dreams would come true.

"-The ship has been cloaked using some form of alien technology, making it impossible to see without special instruments. The U.S. Government has released this infrared image of the ship, which allows us to see the temperature change in the space occupied by the ship," the mayor said, and the pictured changed to reveal a large ship with three much smaller ships orbiting it. The mayor continued while the image was still on screen, "Scientists have confirmed there are three smaller ships orbiting the larger one, and the noises heard across the northern hemisphere of the Earth are indeed from alien weapon blasts.

"The aliens are not firing at Earth but a large ship beyond our sight at the moment. As soon as NASA is able, they will release an image of the other ship. They only know of its presence due to calculations of the blasts' directions as observed by the International Space Station, as well as several malfunctions with probes and other items in our outer solar system that are currently unreachable because the ship is in the way.

"The reason I, a mere mayor of this great city, am giving this message to you directly instead of the president of the United States it that...the aliens found this city and have contacted me as their local leader. I will be included in talks with them, according to a transmission sent to us in broken English-"

Buster moaned from excitement before another chorus of "SSHHH!" filled the air.

"-and these talks will begin in a week's time. I will keep you all informed as I see fit, but know that any secrets kept are to ease the turmoil that is sure to ensure. I want to encourage everyone to keep to your normal lives as much as possible during these trying times, and please, trust in our country's Armed Forces to protect and serve. Thank you."

The press conference ended and Miss Tingley turned off the television. After several moments, students were released in reverse order, and soon everyone was back in their classrooms. Instead of continuing the lessons, teachers let the students talk about the situation. Many gathered in small groups in the hallway themselves, all of them trying to make sense of this historic time.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE: MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL

Buster knew he'd come home to an empty house, but he didn't expect the doorbell to ring shortly after four o'clock. He used the peep hole and looked out to see who was there. A smile covered his face, another large one, as he opened the door.

"Dad! What are you doing here?" Buster exclaimed, giving his father a huge hug.

"Your mother called and told me it was alright. I emailed her this morning and asked if I could swing by. I just had to see my little buddy on this great day in history. Aliens do exist, son. How do you feel?"

"I thought it'd be different," Buster admitted.

He'd always seen them in movies, comic books, cartoons, and sci-fi novels, never real evidence during a special press conference. Like many of his friends, he was actually scared. If these aliens were firing at another large ship that was a little deeper in the solar system, what were they trying to do?

Buster sank onto the couch, "I'm actually a little scared. I was hoping Mom would be home to tell me...I don't know, that I was dreaming, but she's at the newspaper keeping the website running up-to-the-second information. She said they might have to do a midnight run on the paper to keep up with it all."

Bo nodded, "She told me, son, and that was another reason she didn't mind me coming. These are big times for all of us, whether you're military or a journalist. She's playing a very important role. Elwood City is the center of things now."

"I noticed," Buster nodded. He'd seen the news vans for every national news provider, from CNN to Telemundo, and he knew they were trying to take everything in. He thought he even saw European reporters around Town Hall, but he couldn't be sure.

Bo sighed, "Well, I was thinking I'd take you down to the Sugar Bowl for a good burger, then we'd stay home and watch television. Are you still into Bionic Bunny? I hear there's a special on tonight."

"Yeah, but the channel is only covering the aliens," Buster sighed. That was the other thing he didn't expect, his favorite channel to be taken over by the news stories. Even PBS, his go-to for decent afternoon cartoons when the other station wasn't on, had adults on talking about the ships. He thought of turning off the television entirely, but then the house would be too quiet.

"Well, why don't we rent some movies instead? There's this action movie out now, and it's PG-13, but I watched it myself. I think you'd really like it. Wanna give it a shot?" Bo asked. Buster shrugged and decided to give in to whatever his dad wanted to do. He rarely got to see him, and besides, he really wanted the company. He needed it during these crazy days.

Francine caught the ball, but just barely. She fell to one knee before lobbing it back to her father. The throw was a foot higher than it should be, just as his shot was a foot lower, and he had to run back to get the ball. When he got to his spot, he was panting, so Francine called a timeout. They moved over to a park bench shrouded with shade and sat down.

"So, what did you think of the news today, Frankie?" Oliver asked, taking a sip from his water bottle when he was done talking.

"It was really weird. Buster talked about the sounds at lunch the other day, and I thought he was crazy. And Brain was agreeing with him, so I thought he'd lost it too. Now I know they were both right. How messed up is that? This shouldn't be happening at all, but now it is, and...it's scary. Even the adults are scared. Mr. Ratburn spent an hour after the conference talking in the hallway to Miss Sweetwater. We were supposed to have a pop quiz-"

"After how you did on the last one, I think that was a blessing. Your mom took that low B pretty hard," Oliver grinned.

Francine nodded, "Yeah, I'm glad he didn't have it, but at the same time, if Mr. Ratburn is scared, and if other adults are scared, then how am I supposed to feel?"

"Well, like the mayor said, you need to trust that we'll all be protected by our military. If you turn it to the national news channels, you'll see they're covering a different aspect of the case. Allies are building to make sure that this doesn't go south, if you know what I mean," Oliver winked.

"So if the aliens attack us, the whole world will strike back? That's pretty cool," Francine nodded, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"It is pretty cool, and that just shows you something. We're all in this together. We're worried about it, us adults, but we have to listen to our leaders. They'll make the right decisions for us, and if we need them, the world's armies have been raised to take on the threat. I hear the recruiting offices for all branches of the military were full today of people trying to join up. They won't be ready for a while, but when they are ready, they'll be a big help, if we need them. We don't know their intentions, and if they're willing to take on the English language and get it mostly right, they can't be half bad," Oliver grinned, standing up again, "We better start home. I hear your mom got a new recipe from your aunt-"

"Eww, is it vegetarian again? Mom can't cook those at all," Francine grimaced.

Oliver laughed, "No, there's at least chicken in it. Your aunt is vegan now, remember? Kosher, no meat of any kind, no fish, and a lot of weird mushroom and rice combos. She's cut bread so no more pita or fajita, whatever she was eating a lot of before."

"She's weird," Francine whispered, shaking her head.

"I agree, but at least it's something different, and we might like it," Oliver smiled. As they climbed in his truck, Francine couldn't help but feel skeptical about all of it. Things were different, but she knew she wouldn't like it.

Muffy's house was different than her friends', which wasn't anything new. She was well aware that her parents often had strange whims while she was at school, so she'd come home to strange remodels or sculptures. It happened at least twice a month, sometimes more often.

But when she heard the press conference, she knew what was going to happen. Months ago her father had watched a show about Preppers, people who prepared actively for the apocalypse by building bunkers and stockpiling food and other supplies. He instantly wanted into this lifestyle, but Muffy's mother refused, saying it was just barbaric, that only stupid people did things like that.

As Muffy looked in on their basement, where tons of god awful racket radiated from, she knew what was happening. Her mother had given in, and she wanted that room reenforced as if it were a nuclear bunker from the 1950's. Boxes littered the hallway leading to the basement, and Muffy knew from the label that they were from the food company that sponsored the Preppers documentary.

When she went to her room, she found Bailey waiting with an afternoon snack at the table in her room. After pouring her some pink lemonade, he stood there and waited for much longer than he usually did.

"Yes, Bailey?" Muffy asked. Bailey requested to take a seat across from her, something he never did, but Muffy allowed it. Then he asked for permission to have a frank discussion with her, so Muffy allowed it. Why not? Besides, she wanted to talk to an adult after the day she'd had.

"Miss Muffy, I notice your parents are building this bunker for your family, the four of you. Chip has been sent for and has agreed to return home, but I fear...I fear I will not be included in your preparations."

Muffy couldn't help but laugh, "That's ridiculous, Bailey! You're a part of this family, and if they won't let you in, I won't go in either. They obviously can afford one more person. I'll speak to Daddy about it if you're worried...and I won't tell him about this conversation," she added, thinking of different movie scenes, television shows, and the conversations she'd eavesdropped on in her own house.

When Bailey was satisfied, he left the room, the open door allowing in all the awful noises from the basement. Muffy wondered how long it would last, not because she wanted the peace and quiet, but because she wanted to know she had a completed safe place to go as soon as possible.

In the Read household, everyone was tense as they attempted to get through one of David's experimental dishes. No one said a word as Kate made noises and played with her serving instead of eating it. They were all too caught up in their own thoughts, their own worries, about what was to come.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: THE SUMMIT

People attempted to keep to their normal lives, but they all knew what the next day would bring. The mayor of Elwood City announced the night before that the aliens wanted to meet with him at an undisclosed location, but more importantly, in person. He had to go with just his staff members, and many were given basic self-defense training before embarking in a caravan of black SUV's out of the city.

Once in the woods, they turned off on a dirt road surrounded by trees. After traveling several miles, the road opened up to a large meadow. When they were parked at a designated spot next to a "small lake," the mayor and his staff exited their vehicles and waited.

After a moment, the ship became visible, and a human-sized being exited the ship in a silver suit. Once checking over the mayor and his staff, others exited, making it so each person on the mayor's team had one escort from the aliens. They were led into the ship, which was clearly one of the three smaller ones from the infrared image, and the door was shut tightly behind them.

Rather than hallways as depicted in many science-fiction pieces, the room was large and open. It was filled with long tables and several types of aliens. Most were at sizes that could be seen in the human race. Some of them with bluish skin were very short, almost the size of a little person but slightly smaller. Others, in particular a red creature with two heads, were very tall, almost taller than some of the largest people in the world.

But there were others that weren't human-like, in particular a green blob-like figure in the center of the room. He reminded the mayor of the alien from The Fairly Odd Parents, a show he often watched with his nieces and nephews, but he was a different shade of green and seemed more astute.

Once everyone was arranged in the room, the other creature that was more like a dragonfly than a human took a spot in the center of the room. He hovered over the metallic circle in the floor, his wings flapping quickly and causing a soft breeze to flow through the room. A creature in the corner that resembled a beetle (if it were a human-sized beetle) also flapped his wings, but it was the dragonfly that commanded the room's attention.

"Hello Earth leader and staff," the dragonfly said in a very high-pitched voice, which was so much like a ring that the mayor had to resist the urge to plug his ears. The alien noticed and adjusted his tone to a level more suited for human ears, "Thank for joining us."

"You're welcome," the major nodded politely, ignoring the broken English. Chirping filled the air and the dragonfly creature was made aware of his mistake by the others.

"Sorry. English is new. Thank _you_ for joining us. We are at different levels of English. Is this alright?" the creature questioned.

"Yes, you're fine. English is a difficult language. Perhaps you should have gone for something easier. My niece takes French in school-"

"French?" the creature questioned as another chorus of chirps and whines filled the air. "Ah, a language originating in France. Thank you," he nodded to the tall red creature. He rotated himself towards the mayor again, "The United States and English hold more power, no?"

"They do," the mayor agreed, but he did not admit he wasn't the most powerful man. This was a decision made by various government agencies—if the aliens thought a simple mayor from Elwood City was the most powerful man in the country, so be it. As long as the mayor acted in the world's best interest, he could just as easily be President. Besides, the president was busy with his own issues as he attempted to keep the country calm during this trying time.

The dragonfly seemed to fly a little higher as the purpose for their visit was made, "We are here for power. We have enemy, a common enemy. They are not far from here."

"We noticed another ship. You say they are dangerous?" the mayor asked.

"Very much so," the dragonfly said, hovering a little lower. "This is a mix of species. We are from different places, different-" he paused as more chirps filled the air as the aliens exchanged their knowledge on English. Finally he decided on the correct word, "galaxies. Most are from a similar system. They are like yours. One star, many planets. The enemy likes these. Easy to conquer.

"They enslaved many of us. We are sometimes the only free ones," the dragonfly said, turning towards the tall red creature, "or the only ones at all."

"That is hard to hear," the mayor said sympathetically. "We are in a position to offer assistance, but your technology is far more advanced than ours."

"This is a fact we noticed upon arrival. No paroling ships. The probes were a surprise. We avoided them. I doubt our enemy will be as kind," the dragonfly said, turning to the mayor to see if he was correct.

"They are malfunctioning due to the ship's size-"

Chirps filled the air and the mayor stopped talking. He could tell they were arguing about his use of a possessive. Was it a possessive 's' or a plural 's'? The mayor corrected them—a possessive 's' for one large ship.

The dragonfly turned around the room as various creatures chirped and buzzed, then he stopped on the mayor, "Your sensors are wrong. There are many ships. They must appear as one because they fly in formation. This is understandable. We knew where you stood. We have watched you for some time. You have not found us yet. But our enemy found you. That was a problem."

"I'm glad you made it here first then, but what can we do?" the mayor asked.

"There are many options. You must fight them. We will not descend to your planet again. The enemy will descend as soon as they arrive. They will enslave you. They could slaughter you. The choice is theirs, not yours. You must fight them and defeat them as soon as you can," the dragonfly explained.

The mayor nodded, "We are preparing for such a fight. What about you? You asked about power."

"That is the power we seek. We will not be able to aid you from above. You must fend for yourselves. If you survive, we can work together. If you do not, well, that is most unfortunate," the dragonfly said as more buzzing filled the air again. The dragonfly bobbed in the air, "We are apologetic. We wish it were not like this."

"I'm sure. They sound very terrible, but what do you know about them? We need information to help in our fight," the mayor said as his staff made diligent notes.

"We will give you images and...schematics of their ships. We have diagrams of their anatomy. This will show you weak points. If you can understand them, the fight should be easy. If you cannot, we tried to help you. Your people deserved to fall. Like the animal kingdom, only the fittest should survive."

"I agree with your thinking, and we are thankful," the mayor said.

The dragonfly buzzed as more of the human-sized people in silver suits presented the information, then swiftly escorted the group outside. They boarded their SUV's and drove straight to Elwood City's airport, where a private plane took them directly to Washington D.C. The schematics and anatomical drawings would be analyzed by every country in the world, and an army would be raised.

But in the night, the large ship and the three smaller ships disappeared from Earth's orbit. The dragonfly creature was right—Earth was on its own.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: PREP WORK

The work in the Crosswire's basement was completed in three day's time, and soon the room was stockpiled with water, food, weapons, and other resources. Chip arrived the day before completion and made himself at home again, but their parents were anything but normal. Both of them were disturbed by the thought of invading aliens, and the summit meeting's purpose—to prepare us for an attack but little else—only made them worry more.

Because of this, Muffy still hadn't asked them if Bailey was going to be allowed in the bunker with them should things go south. After listening to conversations between her parents, and between her parents and Chip, she finally understood why he was so nervous in the first place. They spoke of four people in the bunker, supplies for four people, spots for four people, and Muffy's counting showed they needed room for at least five, not counting the private chef or the gardener.

She was starting to worry, but so was everyone else. The only detail from the summit meeting revealed by officials was its purpose. Yes, the mayor of Elwood City and his staff met with alien beings, but no descriptions were released, and no transcripts either. The people of the world were fed only the important information: The group that met with us wanted us to know what was coming, an enemy fleet that wanted to enslave the planet. Other than that, we had to fight ourselves. We knew what the enemy looked like, and essentially what car they'd be driving when they showed up, but the people of the world didn't have these items at their disposal, only the military.

It was frustrating for many people, but it seemed that Muffy's house was experiencing a fluke event. Few people felt this was the end of the world, and many thought the benevolent aliens were giving us everything we needed to defeat the enemy. With the world actually working together for once, they all felt they stood a chance against this menacing group, and Muffy believed them too. She thought her parents were overreacting, and keeping Bailey out was simply barbaric, the equivalent of allowing in your kids but not your grandmother or family pet.

As another day passed, Muffy knew she had to just jump in and ask them the hard question. Before her mother got up for coffee, Muffy made her way into the master bedroom, where she found her mother putting on earrings at her vanity.

"Hey, sweetie, could you zip me up?" she asked, standing up. Muffy helped her mother, who finished with her earrings and stood before the mirror, "Well, this is a nice outfit. I have a meeting at the country club for brunch to discuss this whole invasion mess. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I have a very important question for you," Muffy said quickly. Millicent looked down at her so Muffy threw it out to her, "Why isn't Bailey being allowed into the bunker with us?"

"A fifth person would mean a bigger space and more resources. We just didn't have the time to do something like that with the space we have. The basement is only so big," Millicent argued.

"But he's a part of this family!" Muffy cried. "If he's not allowed in the bunker then I refuse to go in as well!"

"You're a child, Muffy," Millicent scoffed. "For one, you do not understand the business of adults, and secondly, you have no power over the situation even if you did understand. You should focus on your studies and learn what you can in the time we have left. I doubt schools will still exist once these aliens take over."

"The entire world is raising an army to fight them!" Muffy exclaimed as her mother began to walk away.

"Yeah, well, the enemy has ships and already enslaved other races with ships. Something tells me we don't stand much of a chance. At least we're smart enough to know that, and you should be grateful to live with a family that understands how the world works," Millicent said, patting Muffy on the head as if she were a dog before prancing up the hallway.

Muffy was stunned. She did understand, and she knew her parents were being silly because of a stupid show about Preppers. Preppers didn't leave family behind, and she doubted it was really a space issue. Their basement was huge. She'd had twenty kids there before for a movie night party complete with a slushie machine and other messy treats that Daddy didn't want in the media room. It was enough for five people. She knew it.

But her mother was right about her just being a kid. She, just like the other kids of Elwood City, had to resign themselves to the fact that the world was either going to live or die without them doing anything, and likely without their parents doing anything either. At least Muffy's parents were trying, and she knew they were right about school. If the world ended after the invasion, education wouldn't exist, so she needed to learn what she could...or take whatever workbooks she could find.

Buster and his father watched action movies, ate junk food, and had an overall good time while Bitzi was away at the paper trying to cover every aspect of the story. She'd been home a few times to change clothes, get more supplies for work, and just to check in, but it was mostly Buster and his father avoiding the news.

This surprised him. Buster figured he'd watch every channel if aliens were ever discovered, but he could sense this was a different situation than the ones he'd dreamed of. Yes, the first aliens were friendly, but they were likely a broken group of various alien species that had suffered at the hands of a common enemy, one that was now headed for them. Buster knew this wasn't good, even if they did know what kind of ships the enemy would have and what they would look like. All of the world's greatest military powers were coming together, and countries without much of a military presence wanted to give whatever they had, usually man power. This was nice too, but Buster knew it likely wouldn't be enough. If aliens with advanced technology couldn't defeat them, how was Earth supposed to do anything? Some parts of the world didn't even have indoor plumbing, electricity, or sewage treatment. How were they supposed to fight off evil aliens?

Buster was happy his father was helping to keep him distracted. His excitement at first that something was out there was now fear, because there was something out there and it wasn't pretty.

A large summit between world leaders formed, with Elwood City's mayor sitting right beside the U.S. president. The schematics and anatomical diagrams were spread among the group, and leaders discussed sharing techniques with each other to make them all a solid force.

As many news outlets put it, everyone fought under one flag at one point, marching their own march and using their own proven techniques. Now they were fighting under a collective of flags from every country in the world. Even Russia had decided to play nice and join the coalition against the aliens, and North Korea was said to be lining up long-range missiles pointed upwards in new directions rather than towards Japan or the United States. Everyone was coming together, and this was their time to plan how this was all going to go.

With the knowledge spread, techniques were decided on. Despite old treaties, this was a dire situation, and missiles would be allowed to get rid of the ships. The hope was that they'd be able to discuss the contamination with the friendly aliens once they won the battle and arrange for a technology that could clean things up. Either way, most leaders felt their citizens didn't mind the risk of radiation poisoning if their children were able to live without repression.

Should the aliens make landfall on the planet, tactics were discussed on the best way to defeat the beasts. Based on their anatomy, low blows would be the most effective, as their respiration and cardiovascular systems originated in the lower part of the torso while digestion was towards the top. Their brains seemed to also be in the same area, each vital organ in the lower torso encased in a thick shell similar to the exoskeleton of a bug. As long as the shot was true enough—dead center—the alien would be defeated.

Resources were distributed and preparations were made. Military leaders would move around the world to various points, ensuring that communications could remain intact even if satellites were destroyed in battle. Reports were brought up detailing what was to happen during each scenario, a report database that was added to almost hourly. The world was figuring out its way out, its way to defeat the incoming fleet.

But space programs made the first move. NASA and other programs arranged to get visuals on the fleet, and as the aliens said, instead of one large ship there were dozens upon dozens of small ships, so small they likely only held one or two aliens. But there were so many that they knew there must be thousand among them. As probes from deep space were able to transmit data again, they were able to give an exact size to the fleet, valuable information for the world's powers to have.

Math was done and soon the numbers showed how close this was going to be. Missiles would help get rid of the first rounds of ships, but later rounds couldn't be defeated in the air, even by planes with attached missiles. The world didn't have enough resources, and there wasn't time to make anything else. The fleet would be there, by the calculations of many mathematicians, in twenty-four hours.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX: INVASION DAY

People across the world were ordered to stay inside no matter what. If you had an emergency, you were to stay home and call authorities. Pregnant women who were at risk of labor within the next week were asked to go to local hospitals, as well as anyone else who would medical treatment during the next seven days. Hospitals were full of very pregnant women, cancer patients, dialysis patients, and many other sensitive groups, but it was the only way to ensure people would not have to go outside during the battle.

Shortly after the sun rose on the east coast of the United States, the alarm was sounded. The first ships were in firing range, and soon millions of people all over the world could look out their windows and see missile blasts lighting up the sky, even in areas that were at high noon. The nuclear explosions made no sound, but everyone knew this would change as soon as they got close enough.

North Korea, as spies suggested, joined the fight, acting on their own initiative to take down the ships using missiles. They had far more missiles than people thought, but no one cared in this moment, even as Russia supplied extra shells that no one was aware of. It was hard to complain when you knew this could be the world's only hope to survive an invasion.

After two hours, however, everyone's supplies were shot of long-ranged missiles. Next would be the short-range, which could only be fired when the ships were entering the atmosphere. These explosions people heard as the world, including North Korea, began firing. Pieces of destroyed ships began raining down, many hitting the ocean but some hitting populated areas as well. There was nothing anyone could do but fend for themselves, so people with low areas, such as the Crosswire's, disappeared below ground.

Other people could only fend for themselves as the explosions grew closer. Once the world's short-range missiles were expended, planes were brought in with their own missiles. North Korea also joined this fight, but they stayed clear of the others as they worked at getting rid of every ship that they could. Dozens fell, sending more debris falling to the ground.

But there were still more coming, and everyone knew this. Armies, all of them donning as much protective gear as they could wear and armed with all the ammo they could carry, prepared as the first ships began making landfall. South America was first, with ships landing in Chile, Venezuela, and Columbia. Armies there waited for the aliens to exit their ships, and when they did, they discovered advanced armor protecting their vulnerable spots.

Fast decisions were made. Grenades were launched without much effectiveness, but if you shot the creatures down at the knees then shot at them in a particular way, the bullets would make their way to their vital organs. This method was spread throughout the world, but satellites were down all over. Messages were often spread the old fashioned way, using land-line telephone communications and hand-delivered messages in some parts of the world. This allowed every day citizens to jump into the fight and be heroes just like the armies, an important role as the fight began to rage.

Ships kept landing, sometimes in remote spots but usually in populated areas. Armies and police units were able to go after many of these aliens, but they were difficult to kill because of their armor...and because they could fight back. Lasers were reported to be on several ships, but not all of them seemed to have them, or the aliens would only use them sparingly. No one understood, but they knew to keep fighting no matter what it took. Ammunition could be run between places, sometimes on foot and sometimes using different vehicles, from SUVs, Jeeps, and cars, to small planes, trains, and boats depending on the area.

The world grew loud too as explosions still sounded and pieces of ships landed with jolting blasts. Fires raged across the world, adding more sounds as buildings burned and people ran away as best as they could. The air was dirty with smoke and invisible radiation, and many people near North Korea fell as they tried to run away. Their weapons seemed to be more potent, the effects of the radiation more damaging, than other areas effected by nuclear blasts. The world's leaders expected this, but there was nothing they could do. Losing some lives was better than losing them all, just as contaminating the atmosphere was a just cause if people were able to live.

The ships kept coming but people kept fighting. In New York City, a ship landed on top of a residential apartment building, and rather than go down without a fight, people used broomsticks, metal beams, and kitchen knives to go after the alien until police could help. Their assistance wasn't needed; the homeowners took care of themselves. Similar situations happened across the world. Sometimes they were successful, but other times people were killed as the alien fought back. A few times help never came and the alien invader was able to go quite far before being taken down by vigilante justice.

But the aliens were falling. As day turned to night and back again, the ships kept coming, but people were fighting and winning. After thirty-six hours, NASA was able to spread a message picked up by the somehow safe International Space Station and delivered to the Earth—the fleet was coming to an end. After twelve more hours of more intense fighting, the last alien ship fell, and the world went quiet.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN: AFTERMATH

Slowly people realized it was over, namely because so many forms of communication were down due to satellites being destroyed or telephone lines being hit by fallen debris or enemy attacks. Word of mouth was effective, as was using transportation to move swiftly from place to place. Across the world people knew it was over, but they also knew things weren't over. Radiation contaminated the air, and people were still encouraged to stay inside, as far inside as they could manage.

This was impossible as food supplies began to run low. World leaders asked NASA and other entities to keep looking for the friendly alien ships, but it was over a week before they appeared. By then, millions had radiation poisoning, and thousands were dead or dying from this. Other problems occurred as the food supply faced problems, causing riots and fights across the globe. People were growing desperate, so the appearance of the supposedly good aliens was a welcomed sight.

Once again, Elwood City's mayor was contacted. He and his staff returned to the same meadow, now cratered by the landing of an enemy ship and the fight to take down the alien inside. The mayor was welcomed aboard, and the team of aliens from before greeted them with nods that expressed kindness, but mostly surprise.

"Forgive us. We expected to come to a destroyed planet. You live?" the dragonfly asked.

"Many live, yes, but radiation has contaminated the planet. It was the only way to defeat the aliens, to keep so many from landing," the mayor explained.

The dragonfly made a humming noise the mayor took to be a nod and replied, "Well, this is to be expected. How do you think many of us came to be sole survivors? Fighting a war is not easy, but you and your people have shown resilience. And your language is easier than expected. There are many exceptions but they are easy to pick up with help."

"Yes, that is true," the mayor nodded.

The dragonfly spun in place on his metallic circle as chirps, whines, and moans filled the air. After a moment they silenced and the dragonfly spun around with the force of a strong breeze to face the mayor, "We have agreed to help you in the decontamination process. It is our understanding that your technology has suffered greatly. We will work on this as well."

The mayor sat back in surprise. He had a list of things to ask for, but he didn't expect the aliens to provide them without him saying much of anything other than typical small talk.

The dragonfly moved backwards, "Humans are a strange race, as you call yourselves. You have passed this trial and appear pleased-"

"Trial?"

"Ah, yes, you do seem surprised by that. You see, the fleet you encountered is of a group of aliens that are rather despicable. They feed on intelligent life forms, including their own, without fear or...conscious. We enslaved them long ago after a battle. That is why we appear before you as we are, a group mixed and diverse yet lonely. We seek out new civilizations using them.

"I see your mistrust. I must assure you they would not have...decimated your planet. We are not cruel, just curious. You destroyed them. Good job. You will now be rewarded. You can be included in our elite group, even you, Mayor," the dragonfly said with a smile. The dragonfly stepped forward, "We knew from the beginning that you were not the highest power. You are no...president or monarch. You are a man, a smart, powerful man. We wish to include you in our group."

"I will have to discuss it with the others," the mayor said, blushing as nervousness swept over him.

"Of course, of course. We will deliver our message in writing for you to distribute," the dragonfly said as one of the tiny aliens brought forward a disc. On the disc were the documents the mayor would need, many of them in other languages for easier translation.

The mayor was released without fanfare and the message was distributed. As expected, many felt they were betrayed by these aliens, who tried to kill them with slaves rather than help to defend them from a real enemy force. The contamination was being dealt with by the three smaller ships, and scientists confirmed radiation levels were down across the globe.

But the betrayal meant people were skeptical about trusting this group. They were wary of letting anyone join them, especially a small-time mayor from Elwood City. They thought of offering someone of a higher caliber in his place, but the arguments were intense. Some felt he should go because he was the one communicating with them all along, but others agreed that he wasn't qualified, though they couldn't agree about who was.

The mayor proposed that no one go, but that too started many arguments. Someone had to go, but no one knew who, and regular citizens were happy not to make that choice. They felt tired and defeated despite the win, and all of this was beginning to be too much for everyone, even the alien-believer Buster Baxter. He wished none of this had ever happened, and he wasn't alone in this thought. The wide-spread belief was that everything would be fine if these aliens hadn't come, and a growing number of people wanted them to die.

The world became uneasy as the leaders tried to work out what to do. After two days, the aliens said their decontamination was as complete as it could be, something that scientists confirmed—only trace amounts of radiation remained in the Earth's atmosphere. This appeased the planet to know the air was no longer deadly, but that didn't change anything. The whole battle was a trick, and people wanted them to pay.

Finally the decision was made. To show their spite, no one would join their little elite group, and they would be asked to leave and never return. A vote was held and the majority of people agreed with this. So, the mayor was given this message and sent home to wait for the aliens to call him again. It was a short wait, and he went with his staff directly from the Elwood City Airport to the meadow.

The aliens were unhappy with the decision, but they accepted the terms, letting them know this sort of thing had happened before. A treaty was made, and the mayor was given a beacon to use in case the aliens were needed in the future. They said they would keep watch just in case, but they agreed to let the Earth do as it pleased.

Once the proceedings were finished, the mayor and his staff were released from the ship before it lifted off quietly, disappearing into the sunset. The mayor told the world what happened, and the world was comforted. This dark chapter in human history could be closed, but not entirely. It was now confirmed that alien life forms existed, and that they weren't necessarily friendly. This made many people wary, and a new battle was made: To contact or not to contact. The only thing everyone agreed on was that contact could wait until the alien contacted them, and live moved on.

But changes were made. Bailey, upset at the Crosswire's decision not to include him in their bunker, decided to seek employment elsewhere. He ended up with the crazy neighbor Muffy mentioned, a man who didn't mind including the butler in his bunker (though Bailey would prefer better company should the end of the world really come).

Bo Baxter wanted more time with his son and wanted to make things work with this ex-wife. He gave up his job at the large airlines and began flying for the small airport in Elwood City, which gave him enough money to buy a small house and treat his son to weakly movies and dinner without him having to give up meals. Bitzi, pleased by this and eager to reconnect, allowed him back into their lives. Within a few months, they were secretly dating again, and after a year, they remarried and moved into Bo's house, eager to start their life anew.

Buster wanted to thank the aliens for getting his parents back together, but the events turned him into a skeptic. He knew that aliens existed, but their friendly nature and his desire to join them on their ship and fly around the universe? That died the day of the invasion, and that spark could never be relit.

~End

A/N: So this is another installment in my Disasters series. I've wanted to do an alien invasion piece from the beginning, but I knew to let things take their course. I'd get the idea when I got the idea, so here it is, somehow written in one sitting (yes my fingers hurt pretty badly right now). I hope you guys enjoyed it, and if any of you have ideas about my next Disasters piece, let me know.


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